I have no plans to write a long review of this short story since there isn't much to say about it.

I just finished it after reading it now and then turning a couple of weeks, with the thought back in my mind that "I can't give up on a novella, it's a short thing I can do it!", but honestly it's a story that is said to be a ghost story, but it's not. It's more about the main character trying to come to grip with her new life after the man she loves left his wife for her and then she sees something that may be a ghost. And, not much is going on in the book, no suspense, just a mystery with a ridiculous ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review.

Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede ( )

I have no plans to write a long review of this short story since there isn't much to say about it.

I just finished it after reading it now and then turning a couple of weeks, with the thought back in my mind that "I can't give up on a novella, it's a short thing I can do it!", but honestly it's a story that is said to be a ghost story, but it's not. It's more about the main character trying to come to grip with her new life after the man she loves left his wife for her and then she sees something that may be a ghost. And, not much is going on in the book, no suspense, just a mystery with a ridiculous ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review.

Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede ( )

A very short novel that I enjoyed and that gave me something to think about. It is billed as a ghost story but it is also a story of a woman and her dog and a woman and her new relationship. It also delves into relationships between friends and acquaintances. There is so much in this lovely little book I may read it again! Plus it takes place in Australia, a place I've never been. (Christmas in summer!) ( )

‘’When I was small, going home past the forest at the end of the summer evening, I used to see shining people between the trees.’’

My first experience with Michelle De Kretser’s work was her atmospheric, tender historical novelThe Rose Grower . Therefore, I knew I was in good hands when I came across her novella Springtime characterized as a ghost story. It is indeed short and exquisite. And the most important thing of all is that it will make you think and decide as to the outcome. For there are no clear answers…

‘’...in Sydney the streets ran everywhere like something spilled’’

The story follows Frances in her new life in Sydney along with Charlie who has a son from his first marriage. As she tries to adopt to these new surroundings with the sole support of her dog, Rod, she comes across a woman in a garden, dressed in period clothes. Who is she? A ghost? A trick of France’s mind? So, she goes on with her life and the apparition never leaves her mind. It is there, in the back of her head, as a strained relationship begins to unfold and the shadow of another woman, much too real and tangible, haunts France's life.

I will keep this review short because you really need to read Springtime to fully appreciate it. There are so many themes for discussion and consideration. The doubt over a relationship that may not last, a new environment, a new house, people you have to interact with although they’re absolutely appalling to you. Above all, the fight to convince yourself that everything will work out in the end. There is a lovely period touch since Frances is a writer specializing in 18th century gardens, something that gives her an aura of mystery. The same quality permeates the writing as a whole. A ghost story may refer to a number of things. We don’t have to necessarily be certain that what we saw was an actual apparition. Sometimes, the spectre at the feast is much more troubling and frightening. The inner fear of potential failure, of not being enough, of not knowing what we really want. The prose reminded me of Susan Hill’s beautiful, ambiguous short stories that stand upon the border between reality and a world beyond our own. A hazy, hypnotic atmosphere with seemingly disjointed passages and a main character who is marvelously developed and mysterious enough to raise more questions as we read.

If you find Springtime, don’t let it slip away. Don't be dissuaded by the unjustly negative reviews. Read it and decide for yourselves…

My review can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com ( )

I was seduced by this little novella's lovely cover, the Ursula K. LeGuin blurb, and the author's identity as a Sri Lankan-Australian. It has been ages since I've read a story set in Australia. And as I read this, it became clear just how little I still know about Australia. Major cities on the coasts, bloody big desert in the middle, some big red rocks in there, opal mining, all the animals want to and can kill you. That's what I know about Australia.

ANYWAY. I wonder how this story is served by putting "A Ghost Story" on the front cover. Although the back warns us that this is probably not your conventional ghost story, it definitely brings certain expectations to the table. Expectations that are not exactly met. But does setting up and then side-stepping those expectations subvert them in an interesting way? Or just frustrate them? I suspect it depends on how invested the reader is in this being a traditional ghost story.

Me? I found this story charming. Even though I'm not a dog person, and a lot of this story revolves around two dogs. The protagonist wasn't easy to relate to, but I found her research interesting, her long walks along the river. Her observations on cultural behavior at airports. And I didn't mind the light touch of the ghost story aspect. ( )